Celico: Churches, Sila Culture and Mountain Trails

Celico between Local History and the Sila Landscape

Celico is considered the birthplace of Gioacchino da Fiore, who was born around 1130. He was baptised in the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo. The Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Michele Arcangelo preserves a ceiling painting by Cristoforo Santanna from 1787 depicting Saint Michael, as well as a chalice that, according to an analysis, can be dated to the mid-16th century. In the historic area, the Chiesa Madonna dell'Assunta stands on the site of Gioacchino da Fiore's house.

Several churches make the town's development visible through specific buildings. According to an inscription on a portal arch, the Chiesa di San Nicola di Bari was built around 1518 and has three naves in the Romanesque style. The Chiesa dell'Annunziata, also known as Chiesuola, was built towards the end of the 15th century; it contains a painting by Antonio Granata from 1798. The interior of the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte Carmelo is decorated with 18th-century stucco. The Chiesa e Convento di San Antonio preserves a 17th-century tabernacle with mother-of-pearl and wood inlays.

Religious traditions and historical traces extend beyond individual churches. During the annual procession of the Madonna del Carmelo in Celico, a painting is carried instead of a statue in accordance with Byzantine ritual tradition. The Convento di San Domenico was founded in 1545 at the then entrance to the town along the Sentiero del Cannavino; fragments with graves and underground passages are among the remains preserved today. The Fontana Vetida is associated with Gioacchino da Fiore, features medieval characteristics and can be reached via the old Via Fontanelle, which connected Celico with Spezzano Grande and other Casali to the south. The Monumento a Gioacchino was commissioned from the Italian sculptor Cesare Baccelli in 1965 and inaugurated in 1968.

The Museum of Rural Traditions of the Sila Plateau was established in 2003 to document traditional working and living areas of the plateau. The first three sections cover traditional timber harvesting, transhumance, and the cultivation of wheat and potatoes on the plateau. Sila is also present in the local cuisine: the gastronomic traditions of Sila in Celico include porcini mushrooms, Sila potatoes, Caciocavallo Silano DOP, local cured meats and cheeses, as well as Calabria's famous liquorice. Silkworm breeding was widespread in Celico until the 19th century; the Catasto Onciario of 1743 recorded families' mulberry trees to calculate the wealth they generated.

Mountain Passes, Trails and Seasonal Landscapes

Celico lies at the foot of Monte Serra Stella, halfway between Cosenza and Camigliatello Silano. The Castagno di San Francesco stands near a bay of Lago Cecita in the hamlet of Colamauci within the municipality of Celico. The rural church of Santa Maria di Monte Carmelo lies in the chestnut forests of Monte Nocilla. The Monte Scuro Pass, at an elevation of 1,618 metres, is also within the municipality of Celico.

The 13-kilometre mountain road Strada delle Vette connects the Monte Scuro Pass with the summit of Monte Botte Donato and passes close to the summits of Serra Stella and Monte Curcio. In winter, the Strada delle Vette is closed to traffic and converted along its entire length into a cross-country ski trail. The Sentiero del Cannavino runs for approximately eight kilometres to Juvinise, also known as Torre Juvinise di Celico; there it branches off, among other directions, towards Celico and onwards to the Sila. From the Casello Margherita mountain hut at 1,400 metres, old mule tracks and mountain trails lead through areas where visitors can look for mushrooms or chestnuts.

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To the main travel overview: Cosenza.